Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Kinda Talking Heads pop rock, not my scene.
Not really my type of music, but this album is undeniably fun and well-crafted with a few stand-out moments. 3.5 -> 3
Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 👘🪭👘 Production: 🔪👂🩸 Music: 🤡💭🤯 Rating: 🏠🏠🏠/5
Англосаксы
Ok
Kinda fun and theatrical
não é a minha vibe, mas não é ruim não
Meh. Not great, not bad. Listenable. A little weird. Kinda punky. Didn't hate it.
I'm struggling to form an opinion on this. It's definitely pretty out there, but I really appreciate just how over the top it is. With that being said, none of the songs really stood out for me.
This was a tough one to rate. I mean objectively I have never really heard of anything like it. It almost felt like I was listening to some pop from like Elton John, but if they also happened to run into the music from like Phantom of the Opera and they had a baby and played the music together. Super unique sound that I haven't really heard before. I don't think I would come back to listen to it again, but if it was on in the background of like a theater party it would be perfect.
Decent
I was a bit tired to be fair. But didn’t hate it. Simpsons: No
Campy and fun, a 3 but a very high one
A pleasant oddball of an album. An atypical glam-rock album with some very pleasant sounding songs. Personally, a full album of this is a bit much, but the songs individually are well written and performed. 3/5
Kinda nice, not something I'd listen too all the time. It's a bit like a discount Queen where you can't understand what their saying
I was quite annoyed by this album until I looked at it differently and recalibrated my expectations. It's catagorized as rock, and if you're expecting a rock and roll album, well, this sucks. But once I took a step back and realized that this is more of a glam album, that it's "rock" in the same way that Queen is "rock," it became much more palatable. And by listening to the album with that perspective, it went from "pretty crap" to "pretty OK."
I couldn’t hardly understand a word, but I liked the vibe! The songs were upbeat and lively.
Distinct sound, interesting and entertaining.
One 1974 album follows another and this is certainly an improvement on the previous one! I've never really got into Sparks though and whilst I this was a decent listen and I'm glad to finally hear one of their albums in full. I'm unsure about whether I'd return to it, I enjoyed the first two songs, I already knew the opener, and _Amateur Hour_ was also vageuly familiar. After that though, nothing really grabbed me from it.
The opening track is the greatest Sparks song of all time. The rest of the album stinks compared with Propaganda.
I spent like a song and a half of this really confused cause I thought it was a woman singing, but once I figured it out I started to get into it a little more. Even still though, I don’t think it’s for me. I can see the appeal for some, but it’s just not really my thing. It’s not bad though, I wouldn’t go that far. Just not my thing. Favorites: This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us, Talent Is an Asset, In My Family
I was pretty excited for this, because Sparks are the kind of artist that has gradually gotten huge amounts of hype in recent years, having never really been spoken about previously. And I can sort of see why people - albeit with different taste to me - really love it. It's fun, inventive, very well played and sometimes quite funny. Unfortunately I can feel the dead-hand of musical theatre, or worse(!) - Queen - upon the tiller, and it's frequently too silly for me. Sometimes that's quite cool, like on the opener and the closer, but sometimes it really does make you think of grown men doing the hoovering in a frock because they think it's a giggle. Oh look, now I'm thinking about Queen again. Thanks Sparks!
Funky international pop rock
Funky light, early punk feel
It’s funny how there still isn’t anything that quite sounds like sparks. This obviously starts off strongly, but the rest of the album is surprisingly solid, and much more ‘glam’ influenced than I expected but still likely had an influence on some of the art rock that followed. My criticism is that it followed a lot of the same musical approach in the songs, particularly with the keys following the vocal melody which I guess is part of the ‘sparks sound’ but once I noticed it, couldn’t ignore it!
This starts off with a more rock-oriented ABBA but then the rock just takes over. I like it.
This was fine, though nothing special.
There are some very good songs on this album
This is baffling, and not necessarily in a favorable way. These folks know a great deal about music and are talented, that's clear, but what the hell is this?!? I'm not even opposed on principle to weird for the sake of weird, but what is this bizarre circus nonsense? Is the record itself racist or just odd? What the hell is going on? I feel like I need to listen to this a couple more times. I'm simultaneously annoyed but digging it. Seriously, what the fuck. Notes on a second listen: It's like weirder Queen? And I dig it? Maybe it's really good?
fun
Some songs I could get into but overall, not my favorite. Could see how it was ahead of its time but very repetitive at times
Interesting band I've never heard of.
Catchy and poppy at times
Opens with their mega hit "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" which had such an unusual sound at the time (and still has to a certain degree). This is followed by another single, "Amateur Hour", which wasn't as big in the UK. For me, the rest of the album is OK.
sorpresa
I've always considered Sparks a little too wacky, which is still true, but there were some great instrumental moments here
An incredible, fun, campy, glam rock sound. Sparks’ Kimono My House is a cult classic, but you can hear how they influenced many later, more well known acts. 3.5⭐️
mischig zwüschad abba und queen - sehr experimentell aber gfallt mer eig no
This sounds to me like someone trying to recreate Ziggy Stardust without Bowie.
Kinda cool.
2.5, rounded up
I wanted to like this more than I did. It's got loads of personality but parts of it are irritating. The vocals mostly.
I was expecting more? Everything was just average.
Wacky wonderful album. While mostly enjoyable, I don’t want to listen to it again. One and done.
I've tried to listen to this before because r/indieheads is always glazing it, but I gotta say, this has me like <michael_bluth_her?.gif> (you know the one). I'm sorry! I just don't get it! This guy's voice gives me a migraine. Would way rather listen to Queen or T-Rex for theatrical, silly, sexy tunes. 2.5 rounded up because at least it's not boring?!
Quirky, ok
Not really my vibe. Interesting production value.
Some weird choices, definitely grabs your attention in places but not sure it’s my thing.
Interesting listen, just not something I think I’d revisit
p324. 1974. 3 stars. Exotic 70s glam rock with sly humour and fabulous guitar work. Starts off brilliantly but then flags badly as it runs out of ideas.
I don't think I can fully say that I "get" Sparks now, but I understand the appeal. There's a sort of eye of the storm feeling I get listening to this, like the chaos and nonsense swirling around these two strange brothers at its core in a way that is somehow ordered, if not predictable or entirely controllable.
Weird, but in a good way I think
Interesting listen. Reminded me of ABBA and Queen. I can see how modern “baroque pop” bands are influenced by this type of sound. Not something I’d probably come back to but not terrible.
Sparks are a fun band. I am a fan of around 15 songs in their catalogue. TTABEFTBOU is the pick from this 💿 for me
Enjoyable although not something I’d choose to listen to. Fun.
This reminded me of Styx or Devo. Or maybe just the weird parts of Queen songs, with out the epic singer.
There’s so much going on. It’s difficult for me to rate this, because some moments I really enjoyed while others annoyed me. Also not sure what to think of the vocal performance. Overall, not a bad album, but I’m having some mixed feelings. 3/5
Extremely fun at first, and certainly well-composed throughout, but the maximal, enthusiastic performances wear out their welcome towards the end. An interlude or change of pace was needed to provide this album with some depth. “Amateur Hour” is my pick from this record. Twinkly, fun, and energetic. Strong 3, the first half of the album is pretty damn great in particular.
Interessanter Glam-Rock. Keine bekannten Songs, aber gut hörbar. Die späteren Alben der Sparks haben mir besser gefallen. 3/5
Very fun album. Definitely need to be in the mood to listen.
Re-listen
I really liked this, for half of it. But the sctick got old about half way through and started getting in my nerves.
odd, but interesting.
This Town aint big enough for both of us - 8/10 Amateur Hour - 6.5/10 Falling in love with myself again - 7/10 Here In Heaven - 7/10 Thank God It's Not Christmas - 8/10 Hata Manana Monsieur - 7/10 Talent Is an asset - 6.5/10 Complaints - 7/10 In My Family - 6.5/10 Equator - 7.5/10 Barbecutie - 7.5/10 Lost and found - 8.5/10 73/100
3.5
I Liked the first song after that umm
Unhinged energy in this one. The band is pretty great, but the singer is a bit of an acquired taste (soooo much falsetto). I liked this all in all, definitely something different. Best song: In My Family
My first thoughts were, wait this isn’t glam rock. Wait, these sound like guys. What the hell is going on? After a few tracks it calmed down and I enjoyed it. I HATE the drummer though. It’s all the same very simple beat and they mash on the cymbals for every beat on every track.
Y’a des moments étrangement groovy entre les phases complètement coco dingo, pis je sais pas où je m’en vais avec ça, parce que j’ai très peu de souvenirs des chansons en tant que tel
Bizarre, but I kinda fuck with it. First few tracks are strong and sound ahead of their time. Lost me a little after that. “Gonna hang myself from the family tree” is an absolutely wild lyric
Highlights: This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both of Us, Amateur Hour, Talent Is An Asset. In a nutshell: kimono over/come on-a over. It’s glam rock but with better songwriting. Try to give this two listens. First round: take in the music (if Russell’s falsetto annoys you, hang in there. The band is great, especially the bass and drums). Round two: read the lyrics as you go along. They have a warped sense of humour that can be indistinguishable with the vocals. It should click after a few goes. The list of artists who were inspired by the Mael brothers justifies this album’s place in the book: from They Might Be Giants to Johnny Marr. You can hear the beginnings of new wave and future genres like indie pop here. Still unconvinced? Watch The Sparks Brothers, a documentary directed by Edgar Wright. Then we can chat about it over a cuppa. Overall: 6/10
It was okay.
Joyful, catchy - slightly glam for my tastes - but excellent really. Strong 3
You can trust Sparks to play you a simple song in the most delightfully complex way possible. I’m amazed the frankly genius Thank God It’s Not Christmas has not made it onto any Christmas playlists I’ve ever encountered. The way they pronounce “Ch-rist-mas” is startling and exciting. Despite some excellent songs peppered throughout, this album as a whole is just on the cusp of being brilliant. Close but not quite. I love the vibe, the ambition, the approach (and the amazing song titles!) But the songs aren’t always quite there for me. It is potentially a bit style of substance in some instances.
When as was a kid and I used to see this band on TOTP the keyboard player with the Hitler moustache used to give me nightmares! But the music is great and takes me back to being terrified of a bloke on TV and hiding behind the sofa!
Close to being very likeable. The lead vocals kept preventing me from taking the music seriously. I quite liked the music itself. Easy rock.
Never heard of these guys! I like them thus far, but nothing inherently is sticking out. High-level, they resemble 'Roxy Music'. edit: Enjoyed them, but didn't save anything.
Hard to believe this came out in 1974. Seems ahead of its time are various points. "Falling in Love with Myself Again" is a very annoying song. This whole album just sounds like i'm in a haunted circus. Overall, this album clearly was an influence on many artists to come after, but I just think this is an incredibly obnoxious album.
It's quite a fun album, I like their style. Theatrical but not over the top like Queen are. A bit queer perhaps? Which I really enjoy.
Art rock dégueulasse. Était mon premier réflexe. A la deuxième écoute, je reconnais qu'il y a des trucs le fun. Thank God it's not Christmas me fait penser à du Bowie de Ziggy Stardust. Il y a une dimension comique et légère au tout qui est le fun. Avec un fond un peu "prog rock". Je corrige le tir pour un 3 ou 4 étoiles.
J’ai aimé pour commencer, ça mets vraiment de bonne humeur, très upbeat. Mais rendu à la fin de l’album je suis épuisé. C’est tellement dense que ça prend tout mon p’tit jus. Ça prendrait de nombreuses écoutes pour tout comprendre. J’aime sa voix haut perché, qui change constamment. À redécouvrir dans le futur!
This was a fine listen. Kinda strange, but I’d happily have this on in the background. No songs stuck out to me as big hits from one another.
Þetta var nú svolítið skemmtileg plata. Var ekki alveg það sem ég bjóst við og jaðraði við að vera of tilraunakennd fyrir minn smekk án þess þó að fara yfir strikið. Þannig að ég fílaði hana bara ágætlega en mun líklegast ekki setja hana aftur á fóninn.
Enjoyed parts of this but other bits kind of annoying
3/4
A glam Queen-esque album. I loved some 1980s songs by Sparks and this was my first time hearing their early stuff. It was pretty good, not something that I would visit a lot but it kept me interested.
Unexpected, but I liked it.
Cross between Devo and Rush.
Aight musically I like it. I like the composition of the songs, I like the witty lyrics they’re really solid. Only thing holding this album back from being really good is the dude’s voice. It’s like a rip off of Rush’s frontman. The falsetto is bad and it happens on every song. Really unfortunate.
I've always heard that Sparks was well regarded. This album has some interesting things going on but is a lot of the same overall "goofy" feel on every song. I enjoyed it but not sure I would revisit. 3.5 l, I round down. 1=Crap that shouldn't be here 2=I didn't like it but get why it's here 3=I thought it was ok or even like it, get why it's here, but won't revisit 4=I like it, will revisit 5=This is some of the best music I've ever heard and will continue listening to it
3.5
Not always gonna be my thing, but I could totally get into this on the right day. Fun glam rock, if a little camp for my tastes.
Wild album. It feels like it should come with a Broadway show. Not very pleasing to the ear or profound, but a fun listen. Thank God It's No Christmas goes to Christmas playlists
Dad- 5 Mom- 4.5 Mike- 6 Lori- 5.5 Michael- 6 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 5.4
This was much more Japan then Japan was lmao (I got them last week so yeah). Pretty middle of the road 70’s rock so that’s sick stuff.
interesting, need to revisit
sparks are at least unique if not anything else
I’m sure it’s very clever but I just did not have the patience for the theatricality today.
Uh don’t know what the hell this is. One of the weirdest records I’ve ever heard. My friend insists that Sparks is not real.
Fun, but it did start all sounding kinda the same.
Fun listen will try and listen to more of their albums.
This town and Amateur hour ++ Fun and unique Didn't like the whole thing Cool cover
Not bad
Intersting listen. Some of it was enjoyable.
Boring
I like how theatrical and idiosyncratic this is. I can only commend them for doing something so artsy and out there, and to really own it. For the most part I enjoyed this and had a nice time, but it did seem to bleed into one a little bit, especially the longer it went on.
Bouncing energetic and a bit much
Definitely thought this was a girl singing for multiple tracks. Album cover tripped me up. Pretty good, very unique, a bit theatrical, and the asyncopated pronunciation and rhythms were pretty neat
I'll give it to Sparks for being sober enuf to know: 'It's a lot like playing the violin / You cannot start off and be Yehudi Menuhin.' B/c otherwise, tho far more playful than Queen, this record is just as guilty of get-you-nowhere theatrics as any Queen release is. The best tracks, heralded by 'Thank God It's Not Christmas,' have an effective sense of humor that enhance their catchiness, and some of the lyrics are hilarious: 'You mentioned Kant and I was shocked / You know, where I come from, none of the girls have such foul tongues.' But if I'm to judge a record based on how much I'd like to put it on rotation, this isn't a topper for me: tho very creative, especially the jazzy 'Equator,' Sparks is too phony-baloney to be a product I feel.
3/5 it was really good
Kind of liked the start of it but then every song started blending together into a very similar sound, and I didn't like it enough to keep it interesting
5/13/25. I had no idea what to expect. This was a mix of glam rock and pop, somewhat humorous to me but I enjoyed it, the songs are a lot of fun! It also has that 70s power pop sound similar to The Cars.
3 - decent. Like queen and abba had a baby
Pretty silly and fun, decent music for driving around.
sparks was a total unknown for me. this was a fun listen, but i had 0 idea what was being said at any time
I'm not sure why I was expecting the cover photo to be depicting the artists, maybe because we've had enough global music in this project to believe it. The music was Fine but it also kind of felt like.......I guess I could believe that a lot of the tracks were kind of songs pitched to 70s-80s glam/new wave type bands that they didn't wind up using? 2.5
I tried to compare Sparks to some other bands and I can’t really make it work. Maybe if Queen and Guided By Voixes put on a cabaret show. They are distinctive, weird bastards and they seem incapable of pouring weird and catchy music into the world.
3/5
Interesting
On the first track, I was pleasantly surprised - the style was unexpectedly cool and original. I’d never heard of the artist before. By the second track, I realized that it might quickly wear out its welcome. That largely proved to be true, at least on the day I listened; I still appreciate the creativity, though. This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us 3.5
This album jammed! A little self-indulgent but not overly so. Enjoyed this one.
Entertainment and fun
Was surprised to enjoy this
This album was kinda cool, This town always made me laugh when I was younger.
Great fun
that was a fun ass album.
Unique sound. Very musical, but not my taste at all.
Well made but not my cup of tea
Very creative and enticing. It rocks, but it moves at such a pace that it's hard to remember what you just heard. It feels like every song has the same amount of energy as the last. Whether that's a good thing or not is up to you.
At first I thought this was a worse version of Queen. Then I paid more attention and realized I overrated Queen. Don't care for this glam stuff, but they know what they're doing. Anyway, pretty obvious influence on a LOT of stuff that came after and pretty incredible vocalist and lyricist, but I really just do not give a shit. Coward's 3 because the talent is undeniable.
This low key slaps
??? interesting tunes?
Pretty good, I enjoyed it overall.
It was interesting hearing an album that I’d never heard of before which clearly influenced some albums I really like. However, I think there may have been too much whimsy involved for me to enjoy most of the songs.
That was a lot of fun. I’m glad this was recommended.
Fun and different.
Not my usual. But it's quirky and interesting. Album 10/1001
It was a fun album. It has some good songs and some that are kind of silly. I really liked the guitars, they sound very creative. The instruments themselves are nothing special, but they are well played. The vocals are also good. My problem here is that the album sounds too average. It lacks flavor, it lacks seasoning. I'll give it 3 stars.
Overall: 3.4/5 Favorite song: This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both of Us Notes: individually, I like most of the songs. As an album, there’s not nearly enough variety to keep me interested for the entirety of it. Reminded me a lot of some of queens work
Звучание хорошее, но это звучание на протяжении всего альбома, ну такое
3.25
6/10
Lively and theatrical, campy and undeniably high-energy (as amphetamine-y a record as ever freneticated itself up), but all a bit much for one's tastes. Does sound sorta advanced / new wave-y for 1974 but probably just suggests how rooted in glam that ill-regarded post-punk genre actually was. Just because Morissey liked it doesn't make it great.
04/03/25 This wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be.
Fun albumevery song is like a little adventure
Reminds me of the circus album I got from this a little while back (The United States Of America?). It's ok, don't know the hype. 3* Enjoyed: lost and found
De har gjort mycket bra genom åren. Här är det lite upp och ner.
It’s fine, I know there’s a lot of history with this band but it didn’t stand out to me much
Muy glam rock. Me gusta.
My final album of the book’s albums. I can’t believe it. This project has been amazing and I’m excited to pour through the user submitted ones next. I will also be continuing the spirit of this project by making a list of bands/albums that I want to listen to that are new or unfamiliar to me. This album was interesting. 3.5?
It was ok.
Fun, pop-y, interesting music. The garbled vocals take it down in quality for me though.
This has a real kooky fun quality to it. It really reminded me of the ABC album we listened to early. Overall, I was lulled to boredom by too many of the tracks to rate it highly. I’ll listen again
This one is slowly growing on me. Favorite track: Thank God It's Not Christmas 3.5/5
A weird album that I wish I would have listened a bit more carefully. I enjoyed what I heard despite how distracted I was, will definitely be revisiting. Giving 3/5 now but may increase the rating upon relistenimg
That was a fun album. I listened to it at least three times yesterday. I'm going to keep it on my phone so it can come up on the shuffle.
Sounds almost like Television but much, much earlier. While I'm not into this album, I picking up the influence this would have on later post-Punk and new wave. 3/5
The vibe is very much Queen-ish. A fun ride with a lot of twists and turns.
Arriving from either a Ziggy Stardust interstellar cabaret or 70s LA and landing somewhere between Roxy Music and Rodgers and Hammerstein - Sparks deliver an album whose audience is unclear for the time of its release but makes a bit more sense now. Pop - yes. Popular. Hard to imagine. At least in America. I have touched based with Sparks several times over the years and you really never know what you're going to get. Always fun. And a little off. This album is no different. Track one starts off with a bang and then they venture wildly. Not exactly up my alley but still one star better than Steely Dan.
This one grew on me. I still am not a fan of the vocals, but it works in a weird way. Still can’t say I’d recommend it, but I do kind of get it.
This was fun
Glam. Rock. Vocally pretty interesting, kind of freddie mercury esque vibes with such an unwavering falsetto. I got more into this one as it went on.
Holy shit. When this first started I was think WTF? Then I found myself digging the vibe and the sound. Now I'm wondering if I'm OK. This was like ABBA on cocaine. You don't want to admit you like it, but you did. I'm still really not sure what to think about this album, but I did listen to it 3-4 times. I think next time we have a party, after the beers and weed kick in, I may have to put some of this on to see how folks react. What can I say, I thought this was fun. This is the kind of album I would have never thought of listening if it weren't for this site. 3
3.5 Fun fact - I used to be coworkers with the former drummer of this band. Not during this era of their career though. My actual introduction to this band, however, was through my cousin Emily (shoutout!) She hosted a party at one point or another unofficially titled Kimono My House, inspired by this album, which prompted me to go and check Sparks out. Sitting here years later, I can confidently say that I still have no idea what the hell to make of this group. Give them a Google if you haven’t already - the band consists primarily of two brothers, one being the most flamboyant, androgynous glam rocker you could imagine, and the other straight-up having the looks and demeanor of a mortician… and yes, their music is just about as goofy as you would expect from a combination like that. However, I think I like it? It’s weird, my mileage seemed to vary with each listen. The first two tracks are both really solid (This Town especially), but half the time I seemed to enjoy my subsequent listen all the way through, and the other half of the time I started growing annoyed somewhere in the middle (which isn’t good for a 36-minute album). So, that made this album really hard for me to rate - I’m going to land on 3.5 for the time being, but I honestly think this could be higher or lower for me depending on my mood. I’ll give it this - it’s definitely one of the more unique albums I’ve heard so far on this list.
I came, I listened, and when it was over that is all I did, there was nothing memorable about the experience, but I definitely had it.
3.5/5
Honestly thought this one was kinda fun. Would give it 3.5 if I could
Very fun album to listen to. Was teetering on a 4 but forgot about it quite soon after so a solid 3. Never 'got' Sparks as a whole but can appreciate why people love them
Ein für seine Zeit sehr modernes Album mit stark avantgardistischen Elementen. Diese sind einerseits interessant, machen aber andererseits den Hörfluss kaputt. Vielleicht muss man sich mehr in das Album reinarbeiten aber bei einer Eintagesanalyse ist eher durchschnittlich als überdurchschnittlich. Mein Favorit ist „Falling in Love with myself again“.
I didn’t know who the Sparks were, so I thought I was getting a Japanese female duo, but ended up disappointed when I realized it was just two white dudes. The album was fine, but there were a couple times where the singing really started to annoy me. By the time it ended, I was grateful
Fine. There’s a few good songs on here but it wasn’t quite enough for me to bump up my rating to four. Although I really enjoyed the recent documentary about Sparks that was made by Edgar Wright. Maybe I haven’t found the right Sparks album for me yet? Or maybe Sparks is another example where their strengths are best highlighted in a best of album?
A very quirky and original album, where quirkiness quickly changes from its biggest strength into by far biggest annoyance. It's actually a pretty common description in regards to many records on this list - first song bringing this innovative and amazing style to the forefront, but by third song you're just slowly waiting for it to end. And by sixth song you just give up. Very much original, very much not listenable for longer than 5 minutes.
Cute.
Really want to like this more. It's just a little too busy, and the melodies feel underdeveloped. Clever lyrics though, and interesting singing and music that scrapes greatness but never grabs ahold of it.
Interesting, spirited, fancy!
Surprised how good this was considering it's fifty years old. I never took Sparks seriously.
7.4 ★★★½
Oooh this one rocks hard. Forgot how much I liked this one too. Not all songs tho. Oh well.
Nothing outlandish. The voice it too high for my liking.
ai voll vergesse zum en review schribe hans am flughafe gloset woni uf de flug gwartet han und chan sege es isch nöd es flughafe ufbruch album han den wohl oder übel müese switche naja
Interesting and good
# Album Name: Kimono my house # Artist: Sparks # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: This town aint big enough for the both of us is a cracking tune. Great start to the album. Amateur hour is another gem. Then its pretty average from there in. The first two tracks just about to save this from a 2. Id give this album a low 3. # Top Tunes: This town aint big enough for the both of us / Amateur hour # Would I listen to it again? Only the first two tracks.
Fine
relisten, but i've been a fan
поняла что глэмрок это когда не знаешь мужчина поёт или женщина. вообще намного веселее чем другой глэмрок что мне ставили. что-то возможно даже запомнится. ТРИ ЗВЕЗДЫ
Never heard of this before. it was not too bad.
You either love Sparks, or you hate Sparks. I can't decide which group I fall into.
I think this will have to grow on me but I like it!
I have a very hard time with 70s glam rock, but my friends told me it was a good one!
The Good: Amazing cover art! The Bad: Not a huge fan of the female lead singer… The Ugly: Turns out the lead singer is a he with massive falsetto… So, I tried liking the album. Listened to it twice, while doing some simple work so that I could focus on the music, the artistry, the all… and then I realized that I never liked glam rock to begin with, so why change now? This is just not my cup of tea… maybe tomorrow I might change my mind, but I doubt it… Hi, this is me tomorrow, and while I am giving the album a third spin the thoughts that pop into my head are: at times this sounds like ABBA, I can also understand why people are heralding this album as being fun, as it does have “spark”… But still no fan... 3* to play safe!
Showy, campy, high-energy, silly – this records is all of these things and more. Just not very good.
Fine
eh it's ok
I thought I liked Sparks. pretty good - I didn't realize they had som many albums. The positive is that the album is timeless 0 in regards to not sounding 50 years old. Not bad
I was surprised. Misled by the cover, I had expected more K-pop. I found the album quite funny and cheerful. It won't appear in my daily stream, but it was fun. 3/5
Had no idea about this album prior but I liked it! higher than a 3 but not quite 4
Very interesting, not even sure what to really call this. I guess operatic rock would be the best description. It definitely intrigued me, though I'm not sure how much I really enjoyed it. It's probably too weird for me to listen to regularly but I expect I'll revisit it at some point in the future. The best and most interesting song was the opening track, though I also liked a few others. I appreciate that they kept the overall sound fairly consistent without letting it get boring.
It’s okay. Generous 3.
ok
Decent songs, but the vocals are terrible. Rapid-fire syllables, buried in the mix, with strange enunciation, makes for utterly incomprehensible lyrics.
3.5 The best Sparks album, right? Even though I don’t always vibe with this, this is good.
I thought this was a cool album but every now and again I'd think 'why do people make music? what's the point?', and I don't know if that's a reflection of the album or of my appalling mental health
Manic
campy and fun, no stand outs but will definitely listen again
Overall, this album sounds like it was released in the 80s, despite being released a decade earlier. It is a bit how ya goin’ and outside the opening track, there isn’t too much I’d relisten to, but I can appreciate that nobody else was cranking out tunes like this in the mid-70s Thumping opening track, loved it, saved. Amateur Hour, decent track despite the name. Here in Heaven, I quite liked it, middle of the track was solid, trails off a bit at the end. Thank God It's Not Christmas - really solid track. This came together very well, production-wise, and I bopped along to it. Hasta Manana, Monsieur - some nice catchy guitar sections, but the lyrics were ordinary and repetitive Lots of the other songs were a bit campy and didn’t leave much for me to cling to. Talent Is An Asset, Complaints, In my Family - These sounded more like standard 70s fare (not a bad thing) instrumentally and vocally. Equator - a bit silly in the first half, not for me. The song gets worse as it goes along. The trumpets and loo loo laa laa vocals were quite annoying, couldn’t wait for this song to finish Barbecutie - not great, not terrible
Genuinely loved side A and thought this album was tracking for a really high score. Then side b hits and it falls of completely, it becomes a slurry of the same vocal distortion. Samey is a very lazy criticism but side B is just that, with the exception of Equator every track sounds the exact same with little or no difference. These guys clearly had an EP and were pushed or for some reason where asked to extend it to an LP and rushed it and shat the bed. 6/10 Fav tracks - The Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us, Falling In Love with myself again, Here in Heaven, Thank God it's not Christmas, Equator Least Fav - The rest
Insane opening track, genuinely difficult to move on to the next few tracks. This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us really set too high of a standard. The album picks up again on Thank God It's Not Christmas and stays good until it gets to Equator which is one of the most grating songs I have ever heard in my miserable life. Honestly the end of this album is just these two assholes padding for time as seen in Barbecutie, Lost and Found is just whatever. Honestly this album would be a 2 if it wasn't for the opening track, but my lord it really wore my patience thin on some songs. The rest of the album after the opener is mid to bad. I can see how a music journo would put this on here cause Morrissey said he likes this album so I guess that makes it 'influential' and 'foundational'. Whatever, one absolute fucking ripper of a track, a handful of mid ones and a couple DOGSHIT ones equates to a 3. The spotify bio for this band (usually written by the band's PR person if I'm not mistaken) wanks on about how influential the band is so I guess they really bought into the bullshit framed around them.
Oh boy this is weird. But not bad
weird yet strangely endearing in its maximalist excess
Creo que tiene discos mejores, y este en particular me recordaba algo a Queen
3 stars
This was weird but fun. 3.5/5
It was ok.
This sounds super modern. I was really surprised to see it was from 1974.
I’m not sure what I expected but this was pleasantly surprising. I was intrigued by both singing and music and I feel if I had more time to listen to a larger variety I would probably be somewhat entranced. It was very interesting and I would give it another chance.
Delightfully odd music. Somehow it speaks to my soul. Take that as you will. Gets worse at the album goes on :(
Weird and funny
Strange and unique, this album full of life and exciting new things. Never having heard Sparks before, this was definitely the hook I needed to check out their other music.
Liked some tracks
Had listened to Sparks once or twice before, and I’m a fan this Bowie/Bolan-esque approach to album making. Was looking forward giving it a go. I was fairly saddened it disappointed, I particularly found the vocals jarring and somewhat annoying. The guitar is phenomenal throughout the album, catching my attention immediately in the first track. John Frusciante cites Fisher’s as a key influence for his style on By the Way, so I’ve gotta give credit where it’s due there. I like the cover too, gives off that instant glam rock vibe akin to Roxy Music’s eponymous debut or Bowie’s pin-ups, which would have been contemporaries. This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us
Pretty interesting and I can hear a lot of artists i listen to in them. Mustve been an inspo
Doesn't sound like it's from that era
3+
Pretty cool sound design. The production could be better, but it works. It's new wave with some musical-like sensitivities. I could see a play with this soundtrack.
Kudos for the unique sound and the quirky vocals. It's a shame the annoyingness of '70s synth rock is this there.
this was more fun than i expected could i write poetry to this? n
I really like a lot of Sparks songs, but in album form it's a bit much.
I listened to this driving and kept not picking up on anything noteworthy but listening to it on headphones found more. This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us is a good song and great opener. Interesting style to say the least on this production. I felt that this sounded like Rush meets Bjork, and then read that Bjork said this album changed their life. I don't know if I'll come back often but I'm glad to have heard this and I'm glad I gave it another shot on headphones.
The album catches your attention with the first 2 tracks but falls off. This is my first time hearing Sparks and I wouldn't be surprised if they influenced future artists. Ultimately nothing is grabbing me here and I'm not likely to revisit.
Definitely pretty weird, especially for the time. I can see how better ideas came out of this, but it's more a history lesson than a work on its own. I don't hate it, but I don't know how to judge it now, because if this charted in 2024, the conversation would be waaaaaaaaaaaaay more "Discourse" than substance. 3 i think? The music itself is not particularly appealing.
Cool album - tons of energy. Early power pop!
Very glammy and free spirited, definitely an influential album but not my beat
Pretty good. There aren’t many songs that are memorable or distinguishable, but nothing bad either. Overall a good album. 3/5 Might listen again
Helt ok, ikke noe spesielt. 3
That albums like this exist makes me very happy - even though I doubt that I’ll consciously seek this out ever again. It’s just so…joyful!
Oft imitated, never repeated, 50+ years of experimental wildness! There are some bangers here, but on the whole I always find them equal parts rocking and grating, and I always bump on the falsetto at some point as we get all the way through an album. Howsoever, I really admire these guys for being true to their ideal.
The best thing I can say about this album is that it is never boring. The worst thing I can say about this album is that it is too campy for me.
Started strong with that specific Sparks sound, then faded away to ash
Shocked to see this is an American band. Never heard of them, and the style tells me why, it's very quirky art-rock stuff, like the more fanciful side of Queen minus the heavy-rock edge. It's pretty good music, and a good handful of songs I'll keep, but I'm not a huge fan of this style. Bit too "fancy-pants prick" for me, veering into baroque territory or something. But it's good! Favorite tracks: Amateur Hour, Falling in Love with Myself Again, Thank God It's Not Christmas, In My Family. Album art: Two girls in kimonos I suppose, we're doing the whole "kimono my house" pun, so I get it. I can't tell for sure if they're actually Japanese or what. It's a cool cover though, I like it. 3.5/5
I’d never heard of this album or even this band, and that’s probably because they seem to have been a bit ahead of their time. More influential than commercially successful. I was surprised that this album came out in ‘74, because it has a much more 80’s feel to it.
I had never heard of this band or album. Not a bad listen, but nothing that really would make me want to listen again.
Probably need to explore Sparks a bit more after this. Definitely some good moments.
I have heard the name "Sparks" before, but never listened to an album. I hear their influence in many newer groups: Of Montreal, MGMT, Animal Collective, etc. This album is fun, and I'll be giving the rest of their catalog a listen. Equator is my favorite on this one, at least after the first listen..
I'd never heard of these guys. Which I found hard to believe. Listening through the album I kept smiling. Every song seems to have a bit of comedy and ridiculousness to it and I dug it. It's amazing that this was released in 1974. I could hear it being played on the radio today. I felt like the singing was operatic and some of the music sounded like a mix of opera and orchestral music from the baroque period. 'Thank God It's Not Christmas' absolutely jams. I like 'Amateur Hour' a lot too. I thought the singing was strangely all over the place, yet still had a formula to it. I like the odd time changes and phrasing in the verse of 'This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us' I feel like the bands that may have been influenced by this would be MGMT, Empire of Sun, and The Darkness. I'll definitely have to listen to what ever they've done with Giorgio Moroder.
I don’t like Sparks. Don’t at me Edgar Wright
Cool funky sounds. Not my cup of tea but I can appreciate it.
I'm sure this is interesting to someone, but it doesn't strike me as anything other than background music.
First 30%: this is the dumbest album I’ve ever heard Middle 30%: wait a minute Last 40%: equator equator doo doo doo doo equator equator doo doo doo doo
In many ways this felt like sometimes pleasant background music with occasionally fun lyrics. Nothing against the album, though
I had never of these guys, and I enjoyed the album. Glam rock is not really my jam but this is well-executed and memorable.
This album reminded me a bit of post-Beatles Lennon, but not quite as good. Still enjoyed though.
Curieux, opératique, un peu rock progressif, un peu new wave. Entre exaltation et agacement. Préfigure le travail de Muse
I really enjoyed it but will probably not return for a re-listen.
2,5
Caroling kids, caroling kids A trifle premature In tones so rich and pure And crystalline Call for the day, the popular day It's fast approaching now But will the mood allow One dissent? If this were the Seine We'd be very suave But it's just the rain Washing down the boulevard Thank God it's not Christmas When there is only you And nothing else to do Thank God it's not Christmas Where there's just you to do The rest is closed to public view Good lyrics, but I dont love the vocals or the album in general. Its all right. 3/5
70’er glam rock, indflydelsesrigt
Interesting
Lively and a little bit interesting. Won't need another listen for me though.
Sparks lernte ich erst in den 80 er / 90 er kennen. "This Town..." ist ein sehr bekannter und toller Hit. Durch eine best of.. war mir dieses Lied sehr bekannt. Ansonsten kenne ich dieses Album nicht. Die zweite Hälfte ist unglaublich kreativ, verspielt, macht einfach Spaß und gefällt mir sehr gut. Die erste Hälfte ist bis auf den großen Hit eher durchschnittliche Qualität.
2024-04-06...
Curioso
Ojala saber ingles
New to me, quite nice
It’s ok
It's fine, probably doesn't need another listen but I didn't turn it off
Its different but good. It feels like a mix of old and new, with some alt rock or punk influences.
There’s a lot of gusto in the delivery of these songs. It reminds me of the band Pulp. This is a cool discovery. And, it came out the year I was born, which is a plus!
Best wel geinig en origineel. Sommige nummers deden me denken aan 10cc
thank god it's not christmas
Je m'attendais pas à ça.
Don’t think Iv ever actually listened to sparks before, this reminds me a lot of the current in the moment band the last dinner party. Really good a theoretical deserves to be on the list.
This is weird stuff. Well, the album cover and title, some of the song titles, the Tiny Tim-like vocals are weird. The rest of the music is fairly straightforward. It reminds me of Supertramp. Favorite track: Hasta Mañana, Monsieur.
I expected it more japanese
First song: Hmm, nice... this is fun and different and kinda interesting. Second song: Hmm, this sounds much like the first song. Third song: Hmm.. this sounds much like the first two songs. And so it goes. A solid formula for some positive vibes. 3 out of 5 on the campy scale 🏕🏕🏕
Ihan hauska! Myös taitava, ei jäänyt sekavaa vaikutelmaa kuten usein kasari-kolinasta ja -kiekunasta. Tosin hän kiekui vähemmän kuin alulta odotin. Kelpo popia mutta ko. ajankohdan punk-otteella, vähän riot girlin esiastetta, mikä sinänsä energiallaan vetoaa. Ei kyllä hurmannut silti.
Kekseliästä - enkä tarkoita tätä synonyyminä paskalle. Olin kuulevinani merkittävän määrän koukkuja, tai vähintään "hyviä juttuja", ja halusin pyörittää avausraidan heti uudelleen. Pitkitetty kuuntelu vaatisi silti huumorintajua, joka on minulle aivan liian spesifiä ja outoilevaa.
one of those albums that I know is "important" and I do like seeing them perform but I find the singing difficult to enjoy on an album. Would like to hear other albums and see if they are easier for me to enjoy repeated listens.
Ha! Really enjoyable quirky album, the melodies were actually pretty decent, nothing felt too repetitive. 2.9
This album does a brilliant job toeing the line between glam and art rock. It's very operatic in tone and there's a lot going on here overall in terms of the music, the melody, the overall weirdness. The influential side of things is clearly there in the likes of future musical acts like Elton John and Freddie Mercury. I think I could grow to really like this on future listens, but for me right now this is a 3 at best (didn't hate it, didn't love it).
Can't really remember anything. Nothing was bad, and this album would have benefitted if there weren't so many other early 70s rock records in here.
3/5. Definitely a lot better than I expected. Really brought in that rock tone that I wasn’t anticipating but also included the melodic, alternative style singing that made the album what it is.
one word - Colorful
Weird
This is interesting for the genre, but I won't revisit it. The songs all sort of blur together.
Wow, this one was different. I really had no idea what to expect as I didnt recognize the band name or album cover and given it came out in the 70s. I actually really enjoyed this music; it was unique (like Queen), poppy, playful, and overall enjoyable. (Caveat is this landed on a good day I was having, so that may have contributed to my positive reception; if I had been having a bad day, I cant tell if this would have helped brighten my day or just annoyed me.)
I can appreciate the liveliness of this record.
It was pretty good, but it didn't keep my interest.
This was such a strange album. I think that’s what I’m enjoying so much about this challenge - is finding music I never would listen to previously. I really enjoyed the unique sound. I added some songs to my playlist but I probably wouldn’t reliaten to it all in a hurry.
Frantic. "the greatest band you've never heard of" If you listen closely, there are guitar cords that will reappear on Queen's 1975 album A Night at the Opera. Turns Queen opened for the Sparks in '73.
Interesting but... didn't pull me in.
I liked this album. It was a good new sound.
Ummmmm.... what? It's kind of like Queen but... not.
Never heard of Sparks before. Started out confused, it bagan to grow on me, then the vocals got annoying
Généralement un très bon album de glam, je ne m'attendais pas à autant aimer ça considérant que ce n'est pas un style qui m'attire normalement. Généralement du bon rock bien fait qui se laisse écouter sans être épatant non plus. Production et instrumentation bonne. La dernière chanson finie vraiment l'album sur une mauvaise note par contre (le Equator répété est plutôt énervant). 7/10
I really want to like this album more than I do. If a few different vocal lines had been added, or the last 30-60 seconds of each song was eliminated, this could really be a top tier album. The falsetto is so talented and unique, the feel is super quirky and avant-garde without being obnoxious or just noise. There's real talent here, and definitely uniqueness. It's just so repetitive and simple, in a lyrical sense, and I hate that. If you don't mind, this is a very cool album. Fav track: This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us
Cool vibe and well done in the rock meets Broadway kind of thing they’re going for but realistically I’m not throwing this on very often.
Poppy, Arty and a bit samey.
Fun but mostly makes me want to listen to other stuff
Everyone knows 'This town' but this is an excellent album from start to finish. Along with the wonky pop there's a distinct krautrock chug. 3.5 stars really.
Silly and fun, but not great 2.5